Gene V. Gandelman
Lesson Nine: How Our City is Governed
Objective Students will learn about city management and the function of key officials.
How do our elected officials and activists help promote and improve life in the neighborhood?
Discuss the leaders of our City. Who are they? What are their responsibilities? Describe their various jobs: Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Police Chief, School Superintendent, Health Director, Human Services Director, Fire Chief, Personnel Director and others.
After the discussion have students choose which city leader they would like to be for a day.
Drawing lots with the names of offices on them is an alternative to students choosing. They may all want to be Mayor of Police Chief, for example. Write about your day.
Questions to consider:
What kinds of meetings would you attend?
What people could you meet with?
What are some of the problems or issues you would try to solve?
What types of phone calls would you make and receive?
Are there any special events or ceremonies on your schedule?
What would you do if an emergency arose?
Objective To teach students about City government/operation and to allow them to “play” with the idea of having power and responsibility.
The teacher will discuss with the class the various city leaders, their titles, daily responsibilities, official duties, supervisor of roles. The students are to think about the ones which interest them the most.
Depending on which procedure works best for a particular class, the teacher either assigns or allows the students to choose the role of a city official i.e. Mayor, Police Chief, School Superintendent, Housing Director, Fire Chief, School Alderman, Yale President, Parks Director, Commissioner of Tourism, etc.
Activities:
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#1 Have children learn about the positions they would like to have through research, interviews, or other methods. Then, have them write a paper describing why they should be appointed to the office; or in the case of Mayor or Alderman, be elected by the people. Make sure they cover qualifications, personal desire, specific needs, dedication, knowledge of the field, etc.
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#2 Hold a “public meeting” at which the Mayor introduces the various city officials to the community. Each one then stands and delivers a speech about what they do, have done, and will continue to do in their particular position. Speeches can be memorized, read or a combination of both.
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#3 Play the game of “Who Am I?” Students will take turns giving subtle hints of job-related experiences/responsibilities while other students try to guess their positions.
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#4. Have the students write about what it would actually feel like to have the power of authority to make real decisions that affect people’s lives.
